CM Punk and Kevin Owens are scheduled to face each other on the November 6, 2026, edition of WWE SmackDown. Their absence from the Crown Jewel lineup has sparked speculation about whether either Wrestler declined to travel to Saudi Arabia.
During a newest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com addressed those rumours, insisting that neither Punk nor Owens refused to participate in the November 7 premium live spectacular.
Meltzer laid out that he had obtained WWE’s original plans for Crown Jewel and that the Punk vs. “There are stories around that some guys refused to go, and nobody refused to go. Owens encounter was never scheduled for the event. They think because the Punk match with Owens is on SmackDown that those two guys refused to go, and that is absolutely not true.”
According to Meltzer, the Crown Jewel card has remained largely unchanged since things were originally put together, with only one notable adjustment involving the World Two-person unit Crown encounter.
The initial plan from what is being said called for Oba Femi, Penta and Je’Von Evans to fan favorite Bron Breakker, Austin Theory and Bronson Reed in six-man tandem action. Despite this, WWE subsequently changed the clash to a traditional tag team gold contest. “I got the original card. Meanwhile, the only change is that the tag team belt match was gonna be a six-man with Oba, Penta and Je’Von Evans against Bron Breakker, Austin Theory and Bronson Reed. On a related note, they decided to make it a tag match.”
Potentially using interference from Femi and Reed during the prize encounter to establish a future confrontation, meltzer also speculated that WWE could revisit the original six-man tag team concept at a later date. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Oba and Bronson Reed end up interfering in that tag title match to set up the trios match at a point in the future. I’m not saying for sure that’ll happen.”
He reiterated that the adjustment to the duo bout was the only change he was aware of concerning the original Crown Jewel lineup. “Yet that is the only change to the card from the card that was originally made a long time ago. So this was always the deal.”
Although Meltzer rejected claims that WWE Superstars had refused to travel, he acknowledged that some performers have privately expressed reservations about making the trip amid ongoing concerns surrounding the situation in the Middle East. “Now, if you have read that there’s talent that doesn’t want to go, of course there is, and that’s obviously accurate. I’ve heard from people too, and Sean (Ross) Sapp relayed that the people they’ve talked to say they don’t want to go. Of course they don’t.”
The distinction, according to Meltzer, is that expressing concerns about travelling to Saudi Arabia does not necessarily mean a performer has refused an assignment or withdrawn from a set match.
Punk and Owens are currently advertised to compete on Friday Night SmackDown on November 6, one day before Crown Jewel takes place in Riyadh.
WWE Crown Jewel 2026 is booked for Saturday, November 7, at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.